Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-10-29

will arise in our lifssames, Cool and myself
think that we may as well avail ourselves OF
it, such as it is During the last six months
several frontier commissions have been at
work on the various boundaries of Zu- Vendis,
with a view Of discovering whether there
exists any possible means of ingress or egress
FROM the country, with the result that
channel of communication with the outer
world hitherto overlooked has been .iiscov-
cred This channel, apparently the only one
for have discovered that 1t was by Il that
the native who ultimately reached Mr. Mac
kennels mission station, and whose arrival IN
the country, together with the fast Of his ex-
pulsion, for he did arrive about three years
before ourselves, was for reasons Of their own
kept dead secret by the priests 70 whom he
was broughti, is about 20 be eifectually
closed But before this is done messenger
is to be dispatched bearing with him this
manuscript md also one or two letters from
Good to his lends, and from myself to my
brother GeHge, whom it deeply grieyes me
TO think | stall never see again, informing
them, as our next heirs, that they are wei
come to our effects in England, if the court
of probate wifi allow them to take them, in
asmuch as we have made up our minds never
to return TO Europe. Indeed it would be im-
wished to do so.
The messenger who is to go, and wish him
Joy of his journey, is Alphonse. For long
while he has been wearied to death of Zu-
Vendis and its inhabitants Oh, oui, e'est
beau" he says, with an expressive shrug;
"mais ie m'ennuie; ce hest pa chic" Poor
Alphonse we shall be very sorry to part with
him; but sincerely trust, for his own sake
49, ~ xrt,t sc
think, worth giving to the world, that he
may arrive in safety. II he does, and can
carry the treasure we have provided him
with in the shape of bars of solid gold, he will
be, comparatively speaking. a rich man for
life, and well able to marry his Annette, II
she is still in the land OF the living and will
ing to marry Der Alphonse.
Anyhow on the chance, may well add
a word or two to dear old Quartermain's mar
rative.
He died at dawn on the day following that
on which he wrote the last words on the last
chapter Nyleptha, Good and myself were
present, and most touching and yet in its
way beautiful scene it was An hour before
the daykreak it became apparent to us
that lie was sinking, and our distress was very
keen. Indeed, Good melted into tears at the
idea-a fact that called forth the last gentle
flicker of humor from our dying friend, for
even at that hour he could be humorous
Goods emotion had, by loosening the muscles
naturally caused his eye glass to fall from its
accustomed place, and Quatermain, who al
ways observed everything, observed this also
"At last he gasped, with an attempt at a
smile, II have seen Good without his eye
glass;
After that he said no more till the day
broke, when he asked to be lifted up to watch
the rising of the sun for the last time.
an a very few Minutes" he said, after
gazing earnestly at it, II shall pass through
those golden gatesn
Ten minutes afterward he raised himself
and looked us fixedly in the face.
81 am going a stranger journey than any
we have taken together. Think of me some
times,n he murmured "God bless you all. /
shall wait for you together" and with sigh
he fell back dead
And so passed away a character that con-
slider went as near perfection as any it has
ever been my lot to encounter.
Tender constant, humorous, and possessing
many of the qualities that go to make poet,
he was vet almost unrivaled as a man of
action and a citizen of the world. | never
knew any one so competent to form an accu.
have studied human nature all my life" he
would say, land l ought to know something
about it," and he certainly did. He had but
two faults-one was his excessive modesty,
and the other slight tendency which he had
to be jealous of anybody on whom he con
centrated his affections.
Good read the burial service over him in
the presence of Nyleptha and myself, and
then his remains were, in Difference to the
popular camor, accorded a great public
funeral, or rather cremation. | could nos
help thinking, however, as l marched In that
long and splendid procession up to the tenn
pie how he would have hated the whole thing
could he have been there to see it, for he had
a horror of ostentation.
And so, few minutes before sunset, on the
third night after his DEATH they laid him OH
the brazen flooring before the altar, and
waited for the last ray OF the setting sun to
fall upon his face. Presently it came, and
struck him like golden arrow, browning the
pale brows with glory, and then the trum-
pets blew, and the flooring revolved, and all
that remained of our beloved friend fell into
the furnace below.
We shall never see his like again IL we live
hundred years. He was the ablest man. the
truest gentleman, the firmest friend, the finest
sportsman, and, believe, the best shot in all
Africa.
And so ended the very remarkable and adj
venturous life of Hunter Quatermain.
Since then things have gone very well with
u.s. Good has been, and still is, busily EN-
ployed in the construction of a navy on Lake
Milosis and another OF the large lakes, by
means of which we hope to be able to increase
auA cpD a
some very troublesome and warlike sections
of tue population who live upon their borders
Poor fellow he is beginning to get over the
sad death of that misguided but most attrac-
tive woman Sorais, but it is sad blow to
him, for he was really deeply attached to her
hope, however, that he will in time make a
suitable marriage, and get that unhappy bus
mess out of his head. Nyleptha has one or
laaias in, 1iarr eslanally dauoh-